Just Listen
by TigerLilyLogic
Summary: She had it all. She was a beloved war hero, had great friends and family, and a boyfriend that loved her more than anyone could ever love anybody else. On top of that, her and her boyfriend were going to have a baby. He doesn't know yet. When she goes to tell him the news, conversations are overheard and lives are changed forever. When they meet up again, how will it all go down?
1. Prologue Part 1

I awoke in the morning to the sound of faint voices downstairs. I did a quick spell to check the time. It was only six o'clock in the morning. Who would be here this early? Who would be here at all, actually? We were on vacation, and hadn't told anyone where we were going.

I gripped my wand in my hands and slowly descended the stairs, wary that they might be unwanted intruders, escaped Death Eaters. I also wondered where Draco had gone, as he wasn't in the bed with me when I awoke, and his side of the bed wasn't warm at all.  
I had gone down about two floors when I could hear the voices more clearly. I was guessing that meant that they were down this hall. I turned left off the floor landing, and inched closer towards the voices. After I was about halfway through the hall, I recognized that one of the voices was Draco. I untensed immediately, and put my wand down. These were friends, not foes. I was going down the hallway towards them, when I recognized my name in their conversation. Curious, I stopped to listen.  
"So, you and Hermione, eh? Dramione?" a voice asked that was unfamiliar to me. Draco laughed. It was a laugh I hadn't heard in awhile, an arrogant, cruel laugh. I was stunned. "We're not together, Blaise. She just happens to be a very good lay. I wouldn't ever have feelings for a witch like her, a mudblood. But honestly, how amazing am I? I got to bed the great Hermione Granger. She's really great for boosting the family's standing in society. How could the Malfoy's still be evil if Hermione Granger's dating one?" He haughtily.  
I almost gasped, but I contained myself at the last minute. He...he...he didn't love me? He still thought that I was just a useless...mudblood? But, he was so different. He was so caring, so tender. I still remembered last night, when we were still lying together after we made love, wrapped up in each other's arms.  
He had sighed and nuzzled his nose into my neck. "I love you, Hermione Granger. I have for a very long time, and I will forever." I was so happy that I didn't speak for a moment. Then I told him that I felt the same way. It had been one of the best nights of my entire life. But..but...I guess he was lying to me.

I walked hurriedly back down the hallway and up the stairs. I was surprised that I hadn't stormed into the room in anger, but I think that at the time I was too heartbroken for that. I hurried into our room and grabbed my trunk. We had only arrived last night, so I hadn't unpacked anything yet. We were supposed to be in this house in Sweden on vacation, just before Christmas. I opened it up and grabbed a pair of clothes for the day, and hurriedly put them on. Then, I fixed my hair quickly with magic, and took the floo to the fireplace in my house. I couldn't do this anymore. I loved Ron, he broke my heart. I loved Draco even more, he broke my heart harder. I wouldn't be tempted by love anymore. Of course...I had a new person to love. I looked down at my stomach, and stroked it. I could not feel anything yet, but I would be able to, soon enough. I would not let this baby be brought up in a home where it's father didn't love it.

I accioed all of my important things into one pile in the living room of my house, and then did one shrinking spell on all of it. Then, I placed a weightless charm onto the small pile, and packed it into my trunk, in the side pocket.

Lastly, I took out some parchment, a quill and an inkwell. I had to hurry, because Draco knew that I woke up soon after 6:30, and it was 6:15 now. I decided to write a blanket letter to all of those that I cared about. I would leave it on my table, and eventually they would come looking.

_Dear Everyone,_

_ I'm sorry that this is so sudden, but I must be going. I don't know if we will see each other again in the near future, but I promise that we will see each other. I can't tell you why I am leaving, but it is very important to me. Please do not waste time trying to find me, because you won't. If you should ever need to speak with me, just send an owl. It will know where to go._

_I love all of you so very much,please don't forget that,_

_With all of my love, _

_Hermione_

I thought about rewriting it because of the tears on it, but I decided that there was no time. This was the best way. I wouldn't give Malfoy the chance to try and steal my baby in some custody battle, or force me to marry him for reputation's sake.

I felt bad by leaving with no explanation, but they couldn't know. If they knew, they would tell Draco, and Draco would do something rash. He might even try to take my baby away from me. I couldn't ever allow that to happen. My baby would be all that I had left. If I stayed in England, everyone would know and then Draco would find out.


	2. Prologue Part 2

_**Fast Forward Nine Months**_

I was walking to the loo because I had to seriously pee. This baby was going to be the death of me. I noticed that the mail had come, as it was sitting on the small endtable in the hallway. That reminded me that I needed to ask Macy if she had paid the water bill.

Macy was my roomate here in America. We weren't great friends or anything, but we got along fine. I just needed a cheap place to stay, and she needed a roomate to make the cost of her rent go down. We were really just using each other, albeit in a nice, nonselfish way.

Right as I was reaching to open the door, I felt a wetness in my pants. I was seriously perplexed? Did I just wet myself? I'm a fully grown woman. After the initial shock that I had done something so embarrassing, I realized that my water must have broke!

"Macy? Macy, it's time!" I said, staring shocked down at the floor. My baby was coming, and she would be with us in a very short amount of time. I wasn't sure that she _was_ a she, but I had a gut instinct, and my instincts are almost always right.  
I heard her before I saw her, she ran down the hallway, paused, and then ran back to get my overnight bag that I had had packed for about a month now. She grabbed my hand and helped me walk to the fireplace. She tossed the powder from the pot into the fire, then led me into it.  
"St. Mary's!" She said as she grabbed my hand and grasped it tightly. Then, I was swirling in the green flames and ended up in the hospital.  
We walked to the counter, and Macy said, "Her water just broke, we need to go back immediately. Her name's Hermione Brown." The fake name I had made barely registered with me. I had made it months ago so that no one could find me, and I had gotten used to it quickly.  
The receptionist grabbed her wand and sent a patronus, before she ushered me to the back.

I was clenching my teeth against the pain, eighteen hours had already passed, and I just wanted my baby out. I wanted to meet her.  
The healer came in then, and ducked under the sheets to check how much I was dilated.  
"Okay, Mrs. Brown, it's time. On the count of three, give me a big long push." She said. "One. Two. Three."  
I squeezed Macy's hand really hard as I pushed with all of my strength.  
"Okay, stop. I see the head! Just a few more pushes and then your baby will be here." The healer said.  
I nodded, and tried to collect my breath before it was time to push again.  
"On three. One. Two. Three." The healer said, and then I pushed with all of my might, trying to ignore the pain, trying to push it away into the recesses of my mind.  
All of a sudden, a cry filled the air, and I saw my little baby. "It's a girl!"  
I sighed in relief, in happiness. "Emily. Her name's Emily May Brown."  
The healer smiled and handed her over to me. "She's beautiful."  
I held her in my arms and it was the best feeling in the whole world. She opened her eyes and I sighed in relief. She had brown eyes, just like mine. I didn't want anyone to be able to tell that she was a Malfoy.  
I had thought that that relationship had only brought me hurt, would only ever bring me hurt. But if anything good came out of it, it was her, my little baby Emily.


	3. Tough Decisions

**Emily is Thirteen Months Old**

I looked down at the letter with tears in my eyes. There was no way that I would be able to stay away from them forever. I missed them so much, and it was obvious that they had missed me.

_ Hermione, _  
_I can't even begin to explain how much I miss you. We all miss you. Life just isn't the same without you. Life goes on though. Ginny and I are expecting a baby! It's great, but we wish that it's godmother would be here to see it. We don't know the sex yet, but she's only about a month along. _  
_George and Angelina got together. That happened about five months ago. They seem to be very serious, and there might be a wedding in the future. Everyone is hoping that they stay together for a very long time. You know how bad he was after Fred died...she's helping him heal, slowly. He's smiling now, and laughing. He even starting working again, making new products for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes._  
_And...Malfoy misses you. I know you would least expect me to be vouching for him, but he's depressed, seriously depressed, borderline catatonic. He doesn't leave the house anymore, his mother says that he doesn't even leave his bedroom. He told her that he stays in there because it still smells like you. He can't go on without you, and I've realized that he really does love you. He's not just trying to get in your pants like I've told you a million times before. It's been almost two years. He seems to think that you're the one, and he's vowed that he won't even look at another woman until he knows what happened to you. I'm sure you've got his letters...would it hurt you to write back just once?_  
_We want you to come back, whatever the reason that you left, we can fix it, help you do whatever it is that you need to be done, whatever the problem is. It's just...Christmas is coming up in a few months, and before you left we hadn't spent a Christmas apart in ten years. _  
_Teddy misses you too. He says that all he wants for Christmas is his Aunt Mione to come home. He's five now. I don't want to guilt you into doing anything, but if that's the way that you'll come home..._  
_Just think about it. Whenever you want, you can always apparate to Grimmauld Place. You can live with Ginny and Teddy and I for as long as you want. Or, I'm sure that Malfoy would let you stay with him in a heartbeat. Just...just think about it, okay?_  
_With all my love, wishing that you'll return,_  
_Harry_

I wanted to go back so badly. And I wanted to believe that Draco really did miss me, but I wasn't going to let myself become that girl. That girl that lets people walk all over her for the sake of "love", giving second and third and fourth chances that aren't deserved. I vowed never to be the woman that got pregnant by a boy who she didn't love and didn't love her in return, and failed at keeping that promise to myself. I wouldn't let myself down again. Besides, Malfoy's are notorious for their lying skills. He probably just pretends to sulk and cry by day and then leaves at night to go party in France or Italy or some other place where no one knows his face. His mother was probably vouching for him, she would do anything for him. It was good for their families publicity. Like Dra-Malfoy said, if the great war hero Hermione Granger thought that the Malfoy's were worthy enough to be with, then the rest of the wizarding world would too. I guess that I could go back for Christmas though...just stay with Harry and Ginny. I'm sure that if I explained things that they would be more than okay with keeping me a secret.  
No! I shook my head quickly, as if the motion would get rid of my crazy thoughts. I wouldn't be able to restrain myself, I knew that. If I went, I would justify going to see Ginny, or George, or the other Weasley's. And then I would think it was okay if I just popped into Diagon Alley for a bit. Somehow, word would spread around that Hermione Granger was back in England.

Besides, this wasn't about me anymore. I could bear missing all of my friends and family, if only I could wake up to my little girl every day. Emily was the light of my life, and I wasn't going to let Malfoy take her away from me.

She had grown so much in the past year, even though she was still so tiny. Her hair had grown out into soft curls. Her eyes might have been brown, but her hair was every bit as Malfoy as you could get. It was almost pure white. There were cute little ringlets in it that reminded me of an old muggle actress, Shirley Temple.  
Speaking of Emily, she had been sleeping for a long time. I should probably go and check on her. I got up from my seat at the kitchen table and made my way up the stairs to her room. I opened the door slowly because it creaked, and I did not want to wake her up if she was still sleeping.

I smiled when I saw that she was still dreaming peacefully. I gave her a kiss on the forehead, then went back downstairs to draft a letter to Harry.

I stared at the empty paper for a good ten minutes, not knowing what to say. Harry and I wrote letters to each other all of the time, and I wrote letters to Ginny and the rest of the Weasley's as well. Just because I was gone from their lives right now didn't mean that I would be forever, or that I wanted them to forget me. I was very determined to move back to England once I believed that Emily was old enough to know the truth.

Sighing deeply, I dipped my quill into the inkwell and began to write.

_Hello Harry,_

_Congratulations! I can't believe that you and Ginny are having a baby. I feel very honored that you chose me as it's godmother, even if I will only be there for the child in spirit. Once you can, I would love to see pictures._

_I miss you all terribly as well. Life just isn't the same, you are right. You all are my family. I really am sorry that I left so suddenly, I know that it was a bad move to make. At the time, it seemed right. The reasons behind the abrupt departure are still there though, so I don't regret it._

_Would you do a favor for me and tell George and Angelina that I'm happy for them? I'm so glad that George is slowly returning to himself. It was very eerie to see him without a mischievous smile on his face, also very sad. Maybe you can send me some of his new products once they are finished? (I know that you would tell me to get my arse to London and get them myself, but it never hurts to ask, right?)_

_As for Malfoy, I don't want to talk about it. There were just too many things waiting to go wrong in that relationship, and I'm not willing to risk it. He probably feels the same way, just doesn't want you to hex him into oblivion for admitting how casual he wanted our relationship to be. I'm okay though, I've moved on._

_I know that Christmas is going to be hard again this year, but I'll get through it like I did last year. I'll send you all gifts and pictures, and it will be like I'm right there with you. _

_And...you don't know how horrible I feel for leaving Teddy. I know how many people have abandoned him (some against their will), and I feel ghastly for being another one of those people. Please make sure that he knows I love him, and that I send my love. It would mean the world to me if you did that Harry._

_Love,_

_ Hermione_

_P.S. Thank you for the offer to stay at Grimmauld Place. I won't be returning for a while, but it was very nice of you nonetheless._

I sealed the letter with a quick swish of my wand and a nonverbal spell, and then called for my owl. I had recently bought him for financial reasons. It was ridiculously expensive to use a Commercial Owl to fly letters overseas. Thirty galleons just to get across the Atlantic! Niall was very beautiful. He was a deep midnight black, strange for an owl, but very pretty nonetheless. He had white ears and small white dots down his back.

He flew into the room from outside and stuck his leg out dutifully. I tied the letter around his leg with a small leather cord.

Stroking his head I told him, "This one is for Harry, Niall. In England, at Grimmauld Place."

He hooted softly, pecked my hand, and then flew off. I leaned back into my chair, thinking. I was always thinking, my brain always in overdrive.

Was I making the right decisions? Was this really best for Emily? Would she grow to resent me for keeping her father out of her life?  
I could only hope for the best, because I honestly had no idea what the future would bring for either of us.


End file.
